Doing an act tending and intending to pervert the course of public justice[1] is an offence under the common law of England and Wales.

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Perverting the course of justice can be any of three acts:

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Fabricating or disposing of evidence

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Intimidating or threatening a witness or juror

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Intimidating or threatening a judge

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Also criminal are:

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conspiring with another to pervert the course of justice, and

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intending to pervert the course of justice

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This offence, and the subject matter of the related forms of criminal conspiracy, have been referred to as:

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Perverting the course of justice

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Interfering with the administration of justice

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Obstructing the administration of justice

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Obstructing the course of justice

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Defeating the due course of justice

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Defeating the ends of justice

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Effecting a public mischief[2]

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This proliferation of alternative names is "​somewhat confusing"​.[3]

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This offence is also sometimes referred to as "​attempting to pervert the course of justice"​. This is potentially misleading. An attempt to pervert the course of justice is a substantive common law offence and not an inchoate offence. It is not a form of the offence of attempt, and it would be erroneous to charge it as being contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Attempts Act 1981.[4]